Blind
by Nezkov Sou
Summary: AU KI He's the captain of the ship, the heir of the Umino family, the will be ruler of the sea. On the other hand, he's the First mate, a nobody, the storm beside the sea. The punishment of mutiny is maroon. Captain Iruka decided differently.


**Title: Blind**

**Author: Nezkov Sou**

**A/n: **AU. A story for one of my sketches in deviantart which I posted as a contest for writers. If you want to participate for future contests, do check my deviantart page.

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><p>"You bastard . . ." Iruka growled low in his throat, fixing his death glare on the man who was back-facing him. Iruka tried to struggle against the ropes binding his hands behind the wooden pole he was leaning against without getting caught, though however, his anger and short-temper was getting the better of him. "Don't you know that the punishment for mutiny is being marooned <em>first mate<em>?" he spat the last two words with venom stronger than a King Cobra's.

The silver-haired man turned to him and pointed the sword in his hand at the captain. Iruka instinctively lifted his head to put more distance between him and the weapon but when the sharp tip rested coldly on his skin, his body went rigid in caution. The oil lamp hanging overhead casted a yellow glow on the gleaming surface, reflecting the stormy grey eye of the wielder. The other was hidden under an eye-patch.

"Captain Sir, you're not in any place to talk." First mate said through the black mask covering the lower-half of his face. The chuckle that came out was short and humorless, "You should have foreseen this. But I wouldn't blame you for this mistake" he leaned forward and in that close proximity, Iruka could smell the faintest scent of gunpowder, rum and the salty sea. Even with the mask on, Iruka could imagine those soft lips beside his ear, whispering in a hushed tone, "After all, I am the one who had blinded you." Iruka shuddered involuntary and hated himself for it. How could he feel such longing when he was in the worst possible scenario for a captain?

"You low-life scoundrel." Iruka forced any soft spots in him down and let his wrath and loathing burn bright in his dark brown eyes – the color of rich land. Behind him, bound by the ropes, his left hand reached out painfully and when he touched the smooth surface of an object, hope washed inside him. He didn't let it show in his face.

First mate withdrew his sword and shrugged, mischief turning his exposed eye into a smile, "But honestly, it had been fun. Seeing you moaning and powerless under me when in reality you hold the position higher than I do." The laughter that erupted this time was genuine and filled with dark hilarity, drowning the obvious clanking of metals out on deck and the entire ship. A gunshot rang, followed by another, and another.

Ignoring the truth spewed out by the first mate, Iruka grabbed hold of the object and felt its shape. A tall wine glass. He searched for a broken or at least a chipped edge. The glass was perfect. Iruka cursed inwardly but kept hold of it. The ship jerked, a wave catching it in its track. First mate glanced at the door and gave an exaggerated sigh, "As the first mate of this ship, I will have to take command of the crew when the captain is _incapable _of giving orders." He winked and placed a quick peck on Iruka's cheek, "Be a good boy and stay out of trouble, ya listen?" he said before prancing out of the room. The door slammed shut and a scrap was heard. He must have locked the door from outside.

Iruka hissed out a few selected curses that would make any pirates of the era proud and immediately struggled against the bindings, hurting his wrist. He swore out loud when the ropes felt tighter than before. A loud blast exploded, shaking the ship and Iruka nearly yelled at the idiot who had fired the canon without permission. His boiling anger was beyond what his rational mind could hold and not really thinking about the consequences, he smashed the wine glass in his fist and stabbed the jagged edges at the ropes, effectively tearing the binds and also his flesh. His mind registered no pain. The ropes came undone and Iruka hurled the blood-stained glass to the side, standing in the middle of his room, seething with dark curdling emotions. Someone had to pay.

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><p>"Alright! Listen up!" First mate yelled over the fights, thrusting his sword towards the sky. "This ship is ours!"<p>

Half of the crew roared in victory, stabbing their weapons upwards, following their new leader, while some kicked those who opposed them, sneering and taunting.

"I shall drag him out now!" First mate shouted, "And what shall we do with this poor fool?"

"Maroon!" someone screamed.

"Walk the plank! Plank!"

"Just kill him! Kill him! Kill him! Kill him!" the men soon joined in the chorus, encouraging First mate to do so.

First mate smirked at the wild desire of the men and when he turned to the cabin where the captain was locked in, the crew roared with enthusiasm and despair. First mate entered the room and the moment he saw the empty wooden pole and scattered bloody ropes, he swiped out his sword and blocked the incoming assault from his left side – his blind side.

Fueled by rage, Iruka shoved First mate back and he kicked the door shut, pointing his very own treasured sword at the silver-haired, challenging him. "You're in no luck, boy. You're a dead man."

First mate chuckled, "I do believe that I am still alive, _sir._"

Swords clashed and trying to overpower each other, Iruka glared into the steely storm while First mate merely gazed lazily into the burning land. "I adored your short-temper and the way you burst in anger sometimes, well most of the time."

Iruka scoffed, "It's too late to sweet talk, but if those are your last words, go on and say it. After all I'm a fair man and I let every dead man have their final words before we part."

First mate laughed heartily, "And that's also what I like about you."

Annoyed by the nonchalant attitude, Iruka commenced his attacks, scoring the walls and breaking objects. First mate dodged each strike and blocked those he could not. He was fast, strong and great with swordplay. No wonder Iruka chose him as his _most trusted _first mate. The wrong choice. Iruka sidestepped a stab and ducked under a swing, whirling on his heels to First mate's left side and swiftly brought down his sword only to be stopped by the same sword which had threatened him while he was held captive. First mate wasn't even looking at him.

"You're good catching me off-guard, aiming for my blind side," First mate chuckled, "but not good enough." He withdrew his sword, letting Iruka slip down by the sudden lack of opposing force and kicked the captain in the guts.

Iruka crashed to the other side of the room and coughed, spitting blood but got onto his feet with sheer determination. The grip on his sword tightened.

"Now who's the dead man?" First mate said. The chorus of 'Kill him!' sounded around them.

"You still are." Iruka lurched forward, moving his sword in large swings and forcing First mate to defend himself and leap back, coming in contact with the wall. Iruka immediately covered their distance and shortened his range of attack, hacking at First mate's right hand. The sword fell off his grip and before First mate could grab his weapon, Iruka kicked it away and pointed his sword at First mate's neck, the tip nicking flesh, letting a dribble of blood out. Slowing his breath, Iruka whispered, "I'm not the captain for nothing, _Hatake Kakashi._"

"You certainly proved that" Kakashi chuckled and put up his hands in defeat. "Rich as the soil, hard as the ground, swift as the wind, fierce as the storm, and unforgiving as the sea."

"That's right. With this heirloom entrusted to me by my late father, I shall cut your throat and rule both the sea and land."

Kakashi closed his eye, "You're right. Go on. I don't want land nor the sea. I have nothing to live for except you. But it seems that I'm no longer useful, hm?"

"That is incorrect." Iruka lowered his voice, "You're not _my _first mate for nothing. Even until the end, you will have something to do in order to help me. And until the end, you will obey my words."

"So what is this final command, captain sir?"

Iruka let a warm smile onto his features, "Hatake Kakashi, as my first mate, I command you to die in my hands in order to stop the foolish mutiny you have brought up."

Kakashi allowed a short laughter out and his eye crinkled in a smile, "Aye, captain sir."

Iruka pressed the edge of his treasured sword against the pale neck and he leaned in – their role reversing from a few minute ago – and whispered beside his first mate's ear. "Thank you for everything."

. . .

"I love you."

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><p>The door to the cabin slammed open and the crowd instantly died down upon laying eyes on the captain dragging out the body of First mate by the arm. Iruka heaved the dead body and hung it on the banister, thick crimson blood from the gash across the neck spilling out onto the deck. Crews at the front of the mob hurried back in panic and fear.<p>

"Men!" Iruka yelled at the silenced people. In the distance, thick grey clouds rumbled with thunder. A storm was approaching. "Under the name of Umino, and with this heirloom," Iruka drew out his bloody sword, "having taken much land, I will now conquer the sea! And I shall be known as Iruka of the Sea!" Dark brown eyes studied the frozen crew. The storm was coming nearer; the ship was heading straight for it.

"Men!" Iruka stabbed his sword on the banister, making several people flinch. "If you are with me, stay! If you can no longer serve, or if you can no longer listen, walk the plank now! Or you shall suffer the same ending as him!" he grabbed a bunch of silver hair and wrenched the head up, allowing the crew to see the ashen face of a dead man. Noise erupted from the mob. Someone jumped into the roaring waves in fear. "Coward" Iruka mumbled to himself.

None of the crew moved.

"I shall take this silence as a vow that all of you on board now will follow my command till the end! Now, raise the sails!"

Men rushed into their positions, untying ropes and soon the tattered grey sails spread open, revealing the drawing of a skull to the world.

"Head on into the storm!"

"But sir!" someone cried in shock.

"Head on into the storm!" Iruka yelled, "Do not make myself repeat!"

"Aye, sir!"

While the crew was hurrying about, Iruka watched the lightning. The storm was raging in the sea as if it was trying to kill the waters. But no matter how much lightning struck, no matter how strong the gust blew, the sea remained and the storm had to retreat. Yet time and again, the storm thundered the sea. And every time it did, the sea withstood.

Iruka closed his eyes, unable to watch the storm any longer. Everything was grey and dark.

Like the eye of First mate.


End file.
